Dinosaur Institute

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The Dinosaur Institute houses a world-class collection of tetrapods (vertebrate animals with four limbs) from the Mesozoic Era. This collection includes fine fossil specimens of dinosaurs (including birds), pterosaurs, crocodiles, turtles, mammals, and extinct marine reptiles. Many of these specimens are prominently featured in the Museum's new Dinosaur Hall. In addition to skeletal specimens, the Institute also houses such rare fossil material as skin impressions and eggs. Among the Institute's unique treasures are a number of holotypes–specimens upon which a new species has been founded–as well as one of the few growth series of Tyrannosaurus rex, a series of fossils ranging from young juveniles through adults.

Below are some highlights of the collection from each of the periods of the Mesozoic Era (Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous).